EVA Report – December 13th

Crew 200 EVA Report 12-13-2018

EVA #6

Author: Lindsay Rutter

Purpose of EVA: 1) Map out locations that allow radio communication
between EVA crew and HabCom around Phobos Peak 2) Test how EVAs can
safely and effectively be conducted with three-member crew, including
rover use.

Start time: 14:12

End time: 16:00

Narrative: With media guests visiting the habitat today, our EVA was
pushed back in time, which was authorized by Shannon. We continued our
communication and radio strength and connectivity testing protocol
today. Our EVA began with an engineering check. We then used
Opportunity to drive north on Cow Dung Road. We intended to stop at
the west end of Stream Bed Connector, but we inadvertently stopped at
the east end of Galileo Road 1104, which we walked along for almost
its entirety. Through our GPS system and our communications with
HabCom, we realized we were probably on Galileo Road 1104 and so we
returned back to the west end of it. We then continued driving
Opportunity northward. We intended to explore areas about 1 kilometer
north of Reservoir Dam, but by the time we were 0.2 kilometers north
of Reservoir Dam, we had lost connectivity with HabCom for several
consecutive radio tests. This lack of connectivity continued even when
we parked the rover and stood on higher points. We decided to return
driving south, communicating with HabCom throughout the return,
sometimes having to park the rover and stand on higher points.
Arriving back at the habitat about fifteen minutes early, we explored
the hills on the west side of the habitat, still following our
communication and radio strength and connectivity testing protocol. We
are excited to report that the battery usage on Opportunity was much
more efficient than it has been lately.

Like this:

Related

Post navigation

Field Season #18

About The MDRS

The Mars Desert Research Station in the Utah desert was established by the Mars Society in 2001 to better educate researchers, students and the general public about how humans can survive on the Red Planet. It is the second Mars analogue habitat after the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station was established in 2000.

Over 200 crews of six-person teams have lived in 1-2 week field visits at MDRS to simulate life on the Martian surface. Researchers and students alike have explored the Mars-like terrain in the area surrounding the station in full “spacesuits”, maintained the station’s systems, grown plants in the GreenHab to support themselves and even recycled their waste water.

Our activities at MDRS are not only about informing the public, but also conducting real research to bring humanity that much closer to the reality of human exploration on the planet Mars.

Annual field seasons at MDRS run approx. October through May. Anybody can apply to be on a crew, and we also need volunteers to help with the project.